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Background Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) arising in the extremities pose a therapeutic challenge due to concerns of functional morbidity. Resections with negative margins are the mainstay of therapy, but the prognostic significance of surgical margins remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic impact of surgical margins and clear margin widths in patients with STS of the extremities. Materials and methods We assessed the relationship between local recurrence-free (LRFS), disease-specific (DSS), and metastasis-free survival (MFS) and potential prognostic factors retrospectively in a consecutive series of 643 patients treated at our institution between 1996 and 2016. Potential prognostic factors were assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results The median follow-up time after primary diagnosis was 5.4 years (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.8-6.0). The five-year estimates of the DSS, LRFS, and MFS rates in the entire cohort were 85.3% (95% CI: 81.6-88.3), 65.3% (95% CI: 60.8-69.5) and 78.0% (95% CI: 74.1-81.4), respectively. Histological grade and the quality of surgical margins were independent prognostic factors of all three survival endpoints (LRFS, DSS, MFS) in multivariate analyses. Within the R0 subgroup, univariate and multivariate analyses of categorized (≤1 mm vs. 1-5 mm vs. >5 mm) and non-categorized margin widths revealed that close and wide negative margins led to similar outcomes. Adjuvant radiation improved local control independently, but not DSS and MFS. Conclusion Microscopically negative margins were associated with better LRFS, DSS, and MFS regardless of whether adjuvant radiation was applied. Here, surgical margins can be close as long as the resected tumor has no ink on it. Implications for practice In the present retrospective analysis of 643 patients with primary soft issue sarcomas of the extremities, surgical margins could be identified as independent predictors of local recurrence-free, disease-specific, and metastasis-free survival. Given the diminished outcome of patients left with positive margins, surgical efforts should aim to achieve microscopically negative margins whenever feasible. It is noteworthy that only the quality of surgical margins, but not the negative margin width attained, had an influence on the prognosis. Our findings suggest that surgical margins can be close as long as the resected tumor has no ink on it.

Somatic leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is an aggressive soft tissue sarcoma entity with a high metastatic potential. The purpose of this study was to identify prognostic indicators of survival in patients with somatic LMS of the soft tissues.We retrospectively assessed the relationship between local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), disease-specific survival (DSS), overall survival (OS) and potential prognostic factors in 164 patients who were suitable for surgical treatment in curative intent. Patients with soft tissue LMS of the extremities, the truncal wall and the head and neck area were included. The median follow-up time was 4.9 years.In the entire cohort, the 5-year estimate of the DSS, OS and LRFS rate were 74.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 65.0-81.8), 70.6% (95% CI: 60.9-78.3) and 63.4% (95% CI 53.4-71.9), respectively. Thirty-eight patients (23.2%) developed distant metastases with a median survival time of 1.5 years after diagnosis of metastasis. Surgical margins attained at the initial oncologic resection and eventual re-excisions did not influence DSS, OS and LRFS significantly. Within the R0 subgroup, close and wide negative margins led to similar outcomes. High histologic grade (P 0.001), size5 cm (P = 0.002) and subfascial localisation (P = 0.002) were associated with significantly diminished DSS in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, only histologic grade was found to be an independent prognostic factor of DSS.The data from this study could not determine a prognostic significance of surgical margins suggesting that tumour characteristics other than margin status are important. Tumour biology reflected by the histologic grade dictates the final outcome.

Data on prognostic factors and treatment outcomes for chest wall soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are sparse. Wide resections with negative margins are the mainstay of therapy, but the prognostic impact of surgical margins remains controversial. The purpose of the present study was to determine the significance of microscopic margins through a long-term follow-up. The associations between local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), overall survival (OS) and potential prognostic factors were retrospectively assessed in a consecutive series of 110 patients who were suitable for surgical treatment with curative intent. Potential prognostic factors were assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses. The median follow-up time following primary diagnosis was 9.6 years [95% confidence interval (CI), 7.2-10.5]. In the entire cohort, the 5-year estimates of the OS and LRFS rates were 66.0% (95% CI, 55.9-74.3) and 60.6% (95% CI, 50.3-69.4), respectively. A total of 27 patients (24.5%) developed distant metastases with a median survival time of 0.9 years following the diagnosis of metastasis. Surgical margins attained at the initial resection and eventual re-excisions significantly influenced OS in univariate analysis (5-year OS, R0 69.9% vs. R1/R2 38.5%; P=0.046), but this failed to reach statistical significance in the multivariate analysis. In the multivariate analysis, significant adverse prognostic features of LRFS included angiosarcoma subtype, G2 and G3 histology. For OS, the only independent significant predictors were age >50 years, tumor size >5 cm, angiosarcoma subtype and G3 histology. The results of the present study suggest that tumor biology, as reflected by the histological grade, influences the final outcome in patients with chest wall STS. Surgical margins failed to reach statistical significance in multivariate analysis as they demonstrated a dependency towards the independent predictors of OS. Subsequently, a positive margin status may be a result rather than a cause of biological aggressiveness, and it may not influence the outcome directly.

Background Nitroxoline, a hydroxychinoline derivate, has been used for many years to treat urinary tract infections (UTI). Many uncontrolled, but only few controlled clinical studies have been published. Four so far unpublished, controlled clinical studies were meta-analysed. Methods A narrative literature review was performed. In addition the individual patient data (IPD) of 466 females with uncomplicated UTI of four prospective, single blind, randomized, clinical studies with similar protocols using nitroxoline (250 mg tid) versus cotrimoxazole (960 mg bid) or norfloxacin (400 mg bid) as controls for 5 days (sporadic UTI) or 10 days (recurrent UTI) were meta-analysed. The primary aim was eradication of bacteriuria 7–13 days after end of therapy (test of cure). Clinical efficacy was determined by elimination of symptoms and safety by adverse events and laboratory tests. Results Reviewing a total of 26 uncontrolled, 2 controlled and one postmarketing studies including more than 11,000 patients, good efficacy and safety of nitroxoline could be confirmed. In the four unpublished controlled studies a total of 234 patients were treated orally with nitroxoline and 232 with controls. The safety of nitroxoline was very good and comparable to the controls (adverse events 9.4% vs 7.8%; p = 0.360). In the mMITT set (at least one outcome result), in the PP set (test of cure outcome) and in the modified PP set (missing test of cure rated failure) more than 90% of the patients showed eradication of bacteriuria with nitroxoline, which also met statistical non-inferiority compared to the controls (10% non-inferiority margin) in all three evaluation sets. The clinical efficacy was similar between the two treatment groups. Conclusion The IPD meta-analysis using objective parameters (elimination of bacteriuria) demonstrated equivalent efficacy (non-inferiority) of nitroxoline with the controls tested (cotrimoxazole, norfloxacin) in the treatment of uncomplicated UTI. Considering the good safety and efficacy of nitroxoline as also shown in many uncontrolled and observational studies and the world wide increase of resistance of uropathogens against cotrimoxazole and fluoroquinolones, but not against nitroxoline within the last 20 years, nitroxoline should be reconsidered as one of the first line antibiotics for the treatment of uncomplicated UTI. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12879-014-0628-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background:Exercise-induced arterial hypertension (EIAH) leads to myocardial hypertrophy and is associated with a poor prognosis. EIAH might be related to the “cardiac fatigue” caused by endurance training. The goal of this study was to examine whether there is any relationship between EIAH and left ventricular hypertrophy in Ironman-triathletes.Methods:We used echocardiography and spiroergometry to determine the left ventricular mass (LVM), the aerobic/anaerobic thresholds and the steady-state blood pressure of 51 healthy male triathletes. The main inclusion criterion was the participation in at least one middle or long distance triathlon.Results: When comparing triathletes with LVM 220g there was a significant difference between blood pressure values (BP) at the anaerobic threshold (185.2± 21.5 mmHgvs.198.8 ±22.3 mmHg, p=0.037). The spiroergometric results were: maximum oxygen uptake (relative VO2max) 57.3 ±7.5ml/min/kgvs. 59.8±9.5ml/min/kg (p=ns). Cut-point analysis for the relationship of BP >170 mmHg at the aerobic threshold and the probability of LVM >220g showed a sensitivity of 95.8%, a specificity of 33.3%, with a positive predictive value of 56.8 %, a good negative predictive value of 90%. The probability of LVM >220g increased with higher BP during exercise (OR: 1.027, 95% CI 1.002-1.052, p= 0.034) or with higher training volume (OR: 1.23, 95% CI 1.04 -1.47, p = 0.019). Echocardiography showed predominantly concentric remodelling, followed by concentric hypertrophy.Conclusion: Significant left ventricular hypertrophy with LVM >220g is associated with higher arterial blood pressure at the aerobic or anaerobic threshold. The endurance athletes with EIAH may require a therapeutic intervention to at least prevent extensive stiffening of the heart muscle and exercise-induced cardiac fatigue.

Die Dimension Betriebsgrose hat durch die Diskussion uber konjunkturelle und strukturelle Probleme des Standorts „Deutschland“ an Bedeutung gewonnen. Oft — insbesondere in der wirtschaftspolitischen Diskussion — werden kleine und mittelgrose Betriebe als besonders wettbewerbsfahig angesehen, wahrend grosbetriebliche Strukturen als krisenanfallig gelten. Als Beweis fur die hohere Wettbewerbsfahigkeit kleinerer und mittelgroser Betriebe wird haufig angefuhrt, das Beschaftigungszuwachse in den letzten Jahren in erster Linie bei diesen Betrieben zu verzeichnen sind, wahrend uberdurchschnittliche Beschaftigungsverluste bei Grosbetrieben aufgetreten sind (z.B. Acs/Audretsch 1992). Eine andere Betrachtungsweise (z.B. Leicht / Stockmann 1993) legt eine alternative Interpretation nahe. Danach sind Beschaftigungszuwachse hauptsachlich im Dienstleistungsbereich zu verzeichnen, wahrend in der industriellen Produktion allgemein ein Beschaftigungsruckgang eingetreten ist. Da grosbetriebliche Strukturen im industriellen Sektor haufiger sind als im Dienstleistungsbereich, konnten die Zuwachsraten fur kleine und mittelgrose Betriebe kein Resultat einer generell hoheren Wettbewerbsfahigkeit dieser Betriebe sein, sondern die unterschiedliche Wachstumsdynamik in den Wirtschaftssektoren widerspiegeln.

Die Ziele des folgenden Beitrages sind die Diskussion und die Herleitung von betrieblichen Erfolgsfaktoren aus der Perspektive der Transaktionskostentheorie, die einerseits fur den Maschinenbau von Bedeutung sind und sich andererseits empirisch mit den Daten des NIFA-Panels nachweisen lassen. Im Gegensatz zu vielen bisherigen Studien bietet sich mit der Nutzung der Daten des NIFA-Panels die Moglichkeit, betriebliche Erfolgsfaktoren auf einer relativ breiten und fur die Gesamtbranche reprasentativen Datenbasis zu identifizieren (vgl. dazu Hauptmanns/Ostendorf 1994; Hauptmanns/Saurwein 1992 und Schmid/Widmaier 1995). Wirtschaftlicher Erfolg ist allgemein gesprochen aus Sicht der Transaktionskostentheorie dann zu erwarten, wenn zur Abwicklung von Transaktionen die dafur effizienteste institutionelle Form gewahlt wird. Da wir es in unserer Studie mit existierenden Betrieben (hierarchischen Organisationen) zu tun haben, stellt sich die Frage, ob Markt oder Hierarchie (Firma) die effizienteste Form zur Abwicklung der fur die Herstellung eines Gutes notwendigen Transaktionen darstellt nur insoweit, als bestimmte Transaktionen moglicherweise auserhalb der jeweils interessierenden Organisation getatigt werden konnen (z.B. durch Fremdbezug von Leistungen). Mit anderen Worten, es geht dabei um das Problem, wie umfassend die Leistungstiefe der Organisation ausgelegt werden sollte.